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§ THE GLASS FACTORY. §
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.,«^§$##@# SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST #@##$§^«,.
..,«^§$##@ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO @##$§^«,..
...,«^§$## THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ##$§^«,...
....,«^§$# NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES #$§^«,....
.....,«^§$ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN $§^«,.....
......,«^§ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. §^«,......
.......,«^ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ^«,.......
........,« THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, «,........
........., AND A GIFT SHOP. ,.........
........,« «,........
.......,«^ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ^«,.......
......,«^§ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE §^«,......
.....,«^§$ CONSIDERED POOR. $§^«,.....
....,«^§$# #$§^«,....
...,«^§$## THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ##$§^«,...
..,«^§$##@ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN @##$§^«,..
.,«^§$##@# YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, #@##$§^«,.
..,«^§$##@ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. @##$§^«,..
...,«^§$## CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ##$§^«,...
....,«^§$# LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE #$§^«,....
.....,«^§$ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, $§^«,.....
......,«^§ SOME ARE SHATTERED. §^«,......
.......,«^ ^«,.......
........,« THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S «,........
........., A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ,.........
........,« GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. «,........
.......,«^ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ^«,.......
......,«^§ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF §^«,......
.....,«^§$ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. $§^«,.....
....,«^§$# #$§^«,....
...,«^§$## §§ ##$§^«,...
..,«^§$##@ §§ §§ @##$§^«,..
.,«^§$##@# ««««««« § § ««««««« #@##$§^«,.
..,«^§$##@ §§ §§ @##$§^«,..
...,«^§$## §§ ##$§^«,...
....,«^§$# #$§^«,....
.....,«^§$ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE $§^«,.....
......,«^§ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS §^«,......
.......,«^ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ^«,.......
........,« DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS «,........
........., BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ,.........
........,« DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO «,........
.......,«^ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ^«,.......
......,«^§ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK §^«,......
.....,«^§$ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. $§^«,.....
....,«^§$# #$§^«,....
...,«^§$## HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ##$§^«,...
..,«^§$##@ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. @##$§^«,..
.,«^§$##@# IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY #@##$§^«,.
..,«^§$##@ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE @##$§^«,..
...,«^§$## IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ##$§^«,...
....,«^§$# WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS #$§^«,....
.....,«^§$ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. $§^«,.....
......,«^§ §^«,......
.......,«^ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ^«,.......
........,« HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT «,........
........., LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ,.........
........,« TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST «,........
.......,«^ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ^«,.......
......,«^§ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE §^«,......
.....,«^§$ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN $§^«,.....
....,«^§$# ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING #$§^«,....
...,«^§$## LIT FROM BEHIND. ##$§^«,...
..,«^§$##@ @##$§^«,..
.,«^§$##@# I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT #@##$§^«,.
..,«^§$##@ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE @##$§^«,..
...,«^§$## WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ##$§^«,...
....,«^§$# LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN #$§^«,....
.....,«^§$ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, $§^«,.....
......,«^§ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE §^«,......
.......,«^ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ^«,.......
........,« «,........
........., §§ ,.........
........,« §§ §§ «,........
.......,«^ ««««««« § § ««««««« ^«,.......
......,«^§ §§ §§ §^«,......
.....,«^§$ §§ $§^«,.....
....,«^§$# #$§^«,....
...,«^§$## MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ##$§^«,...
..,«^§$##@ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET @##$§^«,..
.,«^§$##@# IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, #@##$§^«,.
..,«^§$##@ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. @##$§^«,..
...,«^§$## IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ##$§^«,...
....,«^§$# DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY #$§^«,....
.....,«^§$ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO $§^«,.....
......,«^§ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND §^«,......
.......,«^ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ^«,.......
........,« «,........
........., THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ,.........
........,« THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE «,........
.......,«^ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ^«,.......
......,«^§ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS §^«,......
.....,«^§$ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING $§^«,.....
....,«^§$# HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I #$§^«,....
...,«^§$## SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ##$§^«,...
..,«^§$##@ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. @##$§^«,..
.,«^§$##@# IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL #@##$§^«,.
..,«^§$##@ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE @##$§^«,..
...,«^§$## ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ##$§^«,...
....,«^§$# #$§^«,....
.....,«^§$ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, $§^«,.....
......,«^§ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND §^«,......
.......,«^ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ^«,.......
........,« BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT «,........
........., FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ,.........
........,« BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING «,........
.......,«^ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ^«,.......
......,«^§ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS §^«,......
.....,«^§$ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY $§^«,.....
....,«^§$# FLOOR. #$§^«,....
...,«^§$## ##$§^«,...
..,«^§$##@ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO @##$§^«,..
.,«^§$##@# KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE #@##$§^«,.
..,«^§$##@ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, @##$§^«,..
...,«^§$## WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ##$§^«,...
....,«^§$# PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF #$§^«,....
.....,«^§$ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. $§^«,.....
......,«^§ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. §^«,......
.......,«^ ^«,.......
........,« I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM «,........
........., WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ,.........
........,« MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A «,........
.......,«^ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ^«,.......
......,«^§ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT §^«,......
.....,«^§$ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, $§^«,.....
....,«^§$# BECOME STILL. #$§^«,....
...,«^§$## ##$§^«,...
..,«^§$##@ §§ @##$§^«,..
.,«^§$##@# §§ §§ #@##$§^«,.
..,«^§$##@ ««««««« § § ««««««« @##$§^«,..
...,«^§$## §§ §§ ##$§^«,...
....,«^§$# §§ #$§^«,....
.....,«^§$ $§^«,.....
......,«^§ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, §^«,......
.......,«^ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ^«,.......
........,« BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE «,........
........., STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ,.........
........,« CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST «,........
.......,«^ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ^«,.......
......,«^§ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, §^«,......
.....,«^§$ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. $§^«,.....
....,«^§$# #$§^«,....
...,«^§$## SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ##$§^«,...
..,«^§$##@ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK @##$§^«,..
.,«^§$##@# GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND #@##$§^«,.
..,«^§$##@ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE @##$§^«,..
...,«^§$## THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ##$§^«,...
....,«^§$# #$§^«,....
.....,«^§$ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. $§^«,.....
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